Learning what kind of soil you have and improving it is the foundation of growing luscious veggies.
Dry beans make a great addition to the winter pantry. They're easy to grow and store and help maintain the fertility of your soil. Learn how to grow them this season.
We're in for a cold spell here - the next three or four days are looking, well, like we'll be in the deep freeze. With weather too cold to be outside for long, there's no better time to crack one of those farming books that have been gathering dust.
What are you reading? I've pulled down Grass-Fed Cattle: How to Produce and Market Natural Beef by Julius Ruechel, because I want to explore the idea of getting a couple of Highland calves this spring.
Get some suggestions for reading material.
Many small farmers heat their homes with wood. It's cost efficient, especially if you can harvest your own wood from your land. But many of us have to buy wood from others.
Typically, wood is sold in units called "cords." What is a cord? Turns out, there's a standard definition for a "full cord" of wood. A full cord of wood is 4 feet wide by 4 feet high by 8 feet long. That's a lot of wood!
Sometimes, people say they're selling a "cord" of wood when they mean a "face cord." A face cord is 4 feet high by 8 feet long, but its depth is the length of the firewood itself, typically 16 inches.
Now you know your wood!
The days are getting short and the nights feel brisk. It's around this time of year that my chickens often slow down their egg laying. Sometimes they molt as well, losing feathers and looking a bit raggedy for a while (and they don't seem terribly happy about this process!).
If it's your first year with chickens, you might wonder whether or not they will be OK in an unheated coop all winter. The answer is yes, especially if you follow some simple tips for keeping them comfy, warm, and laying.
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